SAN FRANCISCO, April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM), the world's #1 CRM platform (http://www.salesforce.com/), today unveiled the future of mobile app support by launching Salesforce1 Service Cloud SOS. The latest breakthrough innovation for mobile customer service, Service SOS, will revolutionize customer service and support by putting an SOS button, similar to the Amazon Kindle Mayday button, directly inside any mobile app. With new live video support and on-screen guided assistance, companies will be able to deliver instant and personalized customer service within any mobile app. Leading brands such as Cars.com, Inspirato with American Express, Philips and Stanley Black & Decker deliver customer service everywhere using Service Cloud, the world's #1 customer service platform.

Comments on the News

• "The mobile phone has become the dashboard of our lives—we use it to manage how we interact with not only people, but products and companies," said Alex Bard, EVP and GM of Service Cloud, salesforce.com. "As the mobile device becomes every consumer's channel of choice, it is important companies meet their customers where they are. With Salesforce1 Service Cloud SOS, companies will be able to transform the way they connect with their customers for the mobile era."
• "Cars.com pioneers the way consumers use mobile devices to shop for new and used vehicles by focusing on a superior customer experience," said Joshua C. Chapman, VP of operations, Cars.com. "With Salesforce1 Service Cloud, we can provide our customers with access to Cars.com mobile sites to ensure on-the-go car shoppers receive the same high level of customer service and support to meet the urgency and personalization of the mobile shopping experience."

Salesforce1 Service Cloud SOS: Revolutionizing In-App Support
Mobile app stores will see annual downloads reach 268 billion in 2017, with a total revenue of $77 billion, each growing at 27 percent a year between 2012 and 2017 according to Gartner, Inc., Forecast: Mobile App Stores, Worldwide, 2013 Update, September 5, 2013. Customers are downloading more than 800 apps per second at a rate of more than two billion apps per month on the Apple App Store alone. Customers are increasingly connecting through mobile apps. Companies need to reimagine how they deliver service across every channel, over any device and within the mobile app experience. Currently, when mobile users need assistance, they must exit the app or wait until they get to back to a desktop to find help.

Last year, salesforce.com doubled down on mobile and introduced a series of Service Cloud solutions including mobile communities, mobile chat and Knowledge-base extending its technology leadership. And today, salesforce.com announced Service SOS which will deliver the next breakthrough innovation in mobile customer service.

The Future of In-App Mobile Support is Here
Connected companies understand that today's customers expect instant and effortless help. Service SOS is a new mobile solution that will empower companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. Similar to the Amazon Kindle Mayday button—help is now one-touch away. Powered by the new Salesforce1 Platform APIs, Service SOS will enable companies to provide high-touch, frictionless support experiences for their customers with instant, anytime access to support within any mobile app.

Now, companies will be able to embed a help button into any mobile app to give their customers instant access to support through:

• Revolutionary Agent Video Support for Real-Time Customer Assistance – With Service SOS, companies will be able to deliver instant access via live video support to their customers. Now, a customer will be able to summon a service agent through live audio and one-way video for real-time, personalized assistance within a mobile app. For example, a mobile banking customer that wants to inquire about an unfamiliar charge can instantly connect with a service agent to immediately dispute the transaction.  With a tap of the SOS button, an available service agent will appear on their screen to provide instant, anytime support within the mobile app.

• Breakthrough Personalized 1:1 Assistance with On-Screen Guided Support – Service SOS will allow companies to deliver agent-guided assistance to their customers within the mobile app on any device, for faster, more personalized customer service. Customers will have the ability to instantly share their mobile screen, at which time an agent will see a mirror-image view and can draw on the screen to provide personalized step-by-step guidance. For example, a mobile shopper can instantly connect to a service agent to inquire about the availability of a size. And the service agent can see the customer interact with the mobile app in real-time or draw on the screen to guide the customer through completing an order.

Leading Brands Deliver Amazing Customer Service with Salesforce1 Service Cloud
Service Cloud, the world's #1 customer service platform, transforms support organizations to exceed customer expectations and deliver amazing customer service experiences. Leading brands, such as Cars.com, Inspirato with American Express, Philips and Stanley Black & Decker, now have the customer platform to connect with their customers in a whole new way. Companies that have deployed Service Cloud have seen an average 41 percent decrease in first call resolution time, an average 35 percent decrease in support costs, an average 40 percent increase in agent productivity, and an average 37 percent increase in customer satisfaction, according to a recent third-party research report sponsored by salesforce.com.

Pricing and Availability

• Salesforce1 Service SOS is planned for private beta the second half of 2014 and pricing will be announced at the time of general availability.
• Salesforce1 Service SOS is specifically for use with native mobile apps with support for iOS and Android.
• Salesforce1 Service Cloud is now generally available and pricing starts at $65 per user per month.
• Salesforce1 Mobile App is now generally available for download at the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Additional Information

• Learn more about the Salesforce1 Service Cloud:http://www.salesforce.com/service-cloud/overview/
• Follow @Salesforce on Twitter
• Like the Salesforce1 Service Cloud on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ServiceCloud

About salesforce.com
Salesforce.com is the world's largest provider of customer relationship management (CRM) software. For more information about salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM), visit: www.salesforce.com.

Any unreleased services or features referenced in this or other press releases or public statements are not currently available and may not be delivered on time or at all. Customers who purchase salesforce.com applications should make their purchase decisions based upon features that are currently available. Salesforce.com has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." For more information please visit http://salesforce.com, or call 1-800-NO-SOFTWARE.

© 2014 salesforce.com, inc. All rights reserved. Salesforce, Salesforce1, Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, AppExchange, Salesforce Platform, and others are trademarks of salesforce.com, inc. Other brands featured herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

"Safe harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements related to, among other things, our plans for features and services in development. The achievement or success of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements involves risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If any such risks or uncertainties materialize or if any of the assumptions prove incorrect, the company's results could differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements we make. Further information on factors that could affect the company's results is included in the reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K and in other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including the company's most recent Form 10-K. These documents are available on the SEC Filings section of the Investor Information section of the company's website at www.salesforce.com/investor. Salesforce.com, inc. assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

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SOURCE salesforce.com